REVIEW: ‘The Crown Season 6 Part 2’ Is A Crowning Conclusion

The Crown Season 6 Part 2 finishes the final season of the Royal Family drama, created by Peter Morgan. The show has used a rotating cast every two seasons, but this final stretch stars Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Pryce, Dominic West, Leslie Manville, and Ed McVey, among many others in a large ensemble cast. Moving on from the death of Princess Diana, the second part of the season includes Prince William’s growth, the loss of more family members, and the second marriage of Prince Charles, as well as other major events within the late 90s and early 2000s.

The first segment of Season 6 had a singular focus, hurtling with a sickening dread towards the tragedy of Diana’s death. But on the other side of that, the show transforms back into the format it has utilised for the majority of the show’s existence. Each episode is character-centric, taking on some of the most important moments of the entire series so far. It utilises the time spent over 6 years of a programme and 6 decades to try and finish strong. There is a sense of decay that is infused heavily within the last parts of the season.

Long-standing figures of the Royal Household reach their swan songs, and it isn’t easy to watch them. There is an acceptance of the fact that everything runs out of time eventually, and even though these moments happened around the time I was born, it’s extremely emotional. The decline of the British Monarchy and its struggle adapting to modernity has also returned a prominent theme. So much of the tradition and extravagance seem entirely absurd. At the turn of the century in particular, the world entirely changed.

There are aspects of The Crown Season 6 Part 2 that herald the signs of newness, evolution, and change. One of the crucial story threads is the emergence of Prince William and his coming of age. Often running parallel with the Queen’s plotlines, as a demonstration of the generational differences, the young prince becomes a man, heading to university and beginning the love story between himself and Kate Middleton. There is a resounding feeling within the latter stages of the show that the monarchy is doomed, pounded with scandal after scandal, leaving those underneath the Queen scarred and potentially dangerous for the future. But through William is calmness and dependability.

The characters and their performances really excel in this final season, in a show that has really made the most of the fantastic, experienced cast that it has been able to utilise to depict the generations of the Royal Family. At the heart is Staunton, who plays Queen Elizabeth. Staunton really steps into the role and resonates a power that hadn’t really been demonstrated before these last 6 episodes. The strength and stoney demeanor that the Queen can conjure is fantastic, instantly professional as the head of state. She will push back against a Prime Minister or an unruly family member with an unwavering force. And yet, that rigid shell is given more of a test than perhaps ever before. She becomes more alone, with members of her family and dear friends dwindling. That ever-growing isolation can turn a Queen into a vulnerable old woman at the head of a dysfunctional family of which she is the only one who seems rock steady. The last part of this season is brilliant at reflection and contemplation.

The other cast member who deserves huge plaudits is McVey, who plays Prince William. Suddenly thrust into being one of the figureheads of the season, McVey embraces the challenge and performs on his own for huge swathes of the story. He might not be as dynamic but that isn’t necessarily needed. When the most difficult parts of his young life occur, there is petulance and passion within him. The older actors exhibit a louder voice, but Prince William himself doesn’t have that profound voice. He’s quieter, controlled, and trained. The burgeoning romance between him and Kate (Meg Bellamy) is sweet and pure, not weighed down by the pomp and burdens that have often been felt in earlier seasons.

At first, it felt like the character contained the personality of both sons, William and Harry (Luther Ford). The rage and disdain towards the press that ruminates straight after his mother’s death is something closely associated with his brother, as seen in real interviews, but it’s also highly plausible that the rawness of the situation brought that out of the younger son as well, especially considering his age at the time. Later though, Harry’s own personality begins to be cemented in reaction to what William becomes. For being their first true acting credits, both of them are exceptional.

The dialogue in this show is absolutely phenomenal and how it is allowed to flourish is terrific. The pacing in The Crown is extremely slow, but it gives the monologues and conversations the room to thrive and expand. And with the talent delivering them you can get lost in the words. With old heads like Pryce and Staunton, their years of experience steps onto the screen and commands attention. Much of the time, the room will empty, leaving just them on the screen, and they just stay there. There’s no rush, no fast cuts, just time to express what needs to be said. It can sometimes feel like parts of the dialogue are treated with a touch of hindsight. Certain attitudes may seem like they’d only be used if these events were revisited 20 years later, but it’s impossible to tell what the true conversations were, apart from those with recorded messages and printed letters.

The pacing and the tone of this show have always meant that it’s difficult to binge-watch, but that’s not always an issue. The episodes are long, filled with dialogue and extended scenes, and can be extraordinarily dry at particular moments. But each chapter is like a stage play, where an actor has bared their soul, and it’s not exactly easy to binge on theatre, is it?

The show does feature more of its time-altering scenes, where a character will speak to their past selves or someone else. It’s not as odd as how it was attempted with Diana and it didn’t leave as much of a bad taste in the mouth. For that instance, the character was already dead and was being used to have a full conversation with the living. But for this half of the season, it’s either a final, dying moment or a reflective discussion with their old counterparts. All of these moments seemed much more touching and respectful.

The Crown Season 6 Part 2 finishes at the perfect moment. The Queen and her descendants have created so many engaging stories over the decades, and retelling them has brought out the pain, complications, and trauma that the most powerful family on Earth went through. The transitional point in which that comes to a close is bang on, as it seemed like all of the history had faded away by the end. Tradition and modernity are fantastically poised, with the drama coming from how they threaten each other. It may be dry and slow, but there’s an infectious and enchanting qualities that keeps you watching. How the show is so honest towards these seemingly untouchable characters has cast grit into the glory and humanised the inhumane. And it should be celebrated how through the seasons, we have witnessed the evolution of a country and a globe.

There are so many delightful actors and individual plotlines and there aren’t many shows that give their performers the chance to embody and explore real figures like this. But the series starts with Elizabeth and it ends with Elizabeth, she was the Crown. These 60 episodes are the most complete and profound ways of telling her story.

The Crown Season 6 Part 2 is available on Netflix.